Perfect Strangers
by celestial princess
Summary: *completed!*Hotohori's cousin comes to stay and Chichiri thinks he likes her. Long and complicated plot, don't want to give too much away.
1. And So Our Story Begins

Disclaimer: I own nobody except Ji-na  
  
and...um...Chichiri! *Death grip on Chichiri*  
  
Hahahaha! *Yu Watase starts prying her fingers  
  
off of Chichiri* Noooooo!  
  
A/N: Bit of an AU fic. Takes place after episode  
  
33, but before the summoning of Suzaku.  
  
Another thing: I really have no idea what Houki's  
  
character is like, or where she makes her first  
  
appearence, so that stuff I'm making up. Please  
  
bear with me.   
  
Chichiri sat in his room on a floor pillow,  
  
meditating, when someone rapped on the door.  
  
"Come in no da," Chichiri said, a little annoyed  
  
that his meditation was interrupted. A servant  
  
poked his head in the room.  
  
"Pardon me," the servant said. "But his  
  
highness requests your presence in the throne  
  
room."  
  
"Now no da?" Chichiri asked with a sigh. He  
  
wanted to get back to his meditation. The  
  
servant nodded. Chichiri moaned, stood up, and  
  
went to the throne room.  
  
In the throne room, five of the seishi and Miaka  
  
were gathered when Hotohori walked in the room.  
  
"Sorry to keep you waiting," he said. "But I  
  
had to deal with some business. Anyway, getting  
  
to the point, my cousin's coming to stay and I  
  
want you to make her feel welcome." He looked  
  
around the room, as if daring anyone to disagree.  
  
Everyone nodded, except Tasuki, who looked like  
  
he was too good to take orders form the emperor.  
  
But, come to think about it, Tasuki always looked  
  
like that, unless he was drunk.  
  
"Especially you, Tasuki," Hotohori said,  
  
pointing his finger at him. "I know you don't  
  
like girls, but I don't want any funny business  
  
around here while she's staying with us."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Tasuki asked,  
  
giving Hotohori puppy eyes. "I would never do  
  
anything like that." Hotohori did not look  
  
amused.  
  
"Anyway," Hotohori continued. "She's coming  
  
next week and I don't want any trouble!"  
  
~*~  
  
Ji-na sat in her cabin on the boat, looking out  
  
the window. She was a girl of thirteen, but  
  
looked at least two years older. She sighed as  
  
she ran her fingers through her wavy hair. She  
  
was bored. To keep herself amused, she tried to  
  
imagine the seishi.  
  
It was no use. As descriptive as Hotohori was  
  
in his letters, she just couldn't picture them.  
  
She knew what their personalities were like, but  
  
whenever she tried to picture them, their faces  
  
were blurry.  
  
She reached into her trunk and pulled out an old  
  
letter that Hotohori sent her.  
  
Dear Ji-na, the letter said.  
  
How's my favorite cousin doing? I hope your  
  
parents aren't under too much stress from the  
  
rebels.  
  
Today, we found the fourth seishi. He's an odd  
  
character, who always has a smile on his face.  
  
He's very cheerful, and is a monk. His name is  
  
Chichiri. The Suzaku no Miko has become fast  
  
friends with him.  
  
I hope you can visit soon.  
  
Your loving cousin,  
  
Saihitei  
  
Ji-na smiled as she put the letter back in her  
  
trunk. It was her favorite. There was something  
  
about the way Hotohori described Chichiri. He  
  
seemed like a great guy to be around. She  
  
couldn't wait to meet him.  
  
~*~  
  
Chichiri stood on the dock with the other seishi  
  
and watched the passengers come out. He wondered  
  
which one was Ji-na. But then, when he saw the  
  
sailors bow as someone walked onto the gangplank,  
  
he knew that was her.  
  
He thought she looked so radiant in her robes,  
  
with her hair blowing away from her face because  
  
of the breeze. As she walked down the gangplank,  
  
she held her head high, and her body straight,  
  
with a small smile on her lips. She was closely  
  
followed by servants, carrying her luggage.  
  
"Hello, Ji-na," Hotohori said, bowing slightly  
  
when she reached them.  
  
"Hello, Saihitei," Ji-na said, bowing in return.  
  
Chichiri could see a spark of excitement and  
  
mischief in her eyes. He smiled to himself.  
  
"Let's go to my palace. Then you can unpack and  
  
make yourself comfortable."  
  
~*~  
  
"I'm so glad to see you, Saihitei!" Ji-na said,  
  
dropping her formal manner and jumping into his  
  
arms as soon as they were inside the palace.  
  
Ji-na never liked to be formal, but she couldn't  
  
help it. That's what you had to do when you were  
  
a princess.  
  
"I want to introduce you to everybody," Hotohori  
  
said, pointing to them. "This is -"  
  
"Wait, don"t tell me. Let me guess. That," she  
  
pointed to Tamahome, "is Tamahome. The first  
  
seishi found. A miser whose whole family got  
  
killed by a deranged Seriyu seishi. He's also in  
  
love with the Suzaku no Miko. Am I right?"  
  
Tamahome nodded in amazement. "That," she  
  
pointed to Chichiri, "is Chichiri. The fourth  
  
seishi found. A wandering monk who wears a mask  
  
to hide his scar. Always says 'no da' after  
  
every sentence and has magical powers."  
  
"She sure did her homework no da," Chichiri  
  
said. Ji-na thought she saw a faint smile on  
  
Chichiri's lips.  
  
"That," she pointed to Tasuki, "is Tasuki. The  
  
fifth seishi found. A bandit who's tessen spouts  
  
fire. Hates girls, and is a general pain in the  
  
neck."   
  
"I'm not a pain!" Tasuki pouted as everyone else  
  
laughed.  
  
"That," Ji-na said as she pointed to Mitsukake.  
  
"Is Mitsukake. The sixth seishi found. A healer  
  
whose fiancée died from a fever demon. Has a  
  
cat, Tama-Neko, and doesn't say much."  
  
"Hotohori," Mitsukake said, a little annoyed.  
  
"Exactly how much of our personal lives have you  
  
told her?" Hotohori shrugged.  
  
"That," Ji-na pointed to Chiriko. "Is Chiriko.  
  
The last seishi found. Both the youngest and  
  
smartest seishi." Chiriko blushed. "That," she  
  
pointed to Miaka, "is Miaka, also known as the  
  
Suzaku no Miko. Resident of another world, she  
  
and her friend came into this world by powers I  
  
don't know of. Eats a little too much and is the  
  
love of my cousin's life." Everyone except Miaka  
  
and Hotohori laughed loudly.  
  
"Ji-na," Hotohori said, trying to change the  
  
subject. 'Let me show you to your room." He  
  
left the throne room and started walking down a  
  
hall. Ji-na followed.  
  
"This," Hotohori said, showing Ji-na her room  
  
with a sweep of his arm, "will be your room."  
  
Ji-na rolled her eyes.  
  
"Come on" she said. "You don't have to be so  
  
royal and mature around me, I'm your cousin.  
  
Poke." She poked his arm.  
  
"Poke," he said, poking her back. They went on,  
  
poking each other. She shrieked as Hotohori  
  
started to tickle her. She tickled him back.  
  
Hotohori's crown fell off his head, letting his  
  
hair spill all over his shoulders as he and Ji-na  
  
fell to the floor, laughing.  
  
A/N: I don't really have any ideas for a title,  
  
so if you, the reader, have any, please say what  
  
it is in your review. 


	2. Don't Leave, Kouran!

Chichiri went to the courtyard to take a walk. He felt that walks in the courtyard helped him feel relaxed. Not that he needed that right now, but it was nice anyway.  
  
  
  
He walked to the pond in the center of the courtyard and looked into the water. Goldfish swam around in and out of the pond weed clumps. He was a little angry that water could be so calm and harmless when it was water that caused the death of his best friend and fiancée. He didn't want to look at the pond anymore, so he stood up and walked to the other side of the courtyard.  
  
  
  
Chichiri went over to sit under a tree and think about nothing in particular. He leaned against the trunk, closed his good eye under the mask, and let his mind wander.  
  
  
  
Eventually, his thoughts turned to Ji-na. She was so pretty, with her face, and her hair, and her laugh. He smiled to himself, remembering how he heard her laugh when Hotohori tickled her.   
  
  
  
Wait a minute, Chichiri thought. Do I like her? No, I don't. Not after what happened last time.... Chichiri's head began to fill with memories of that day when both his fiancée and best friend died.  
  
  
  
Chichiri took off his mask and started crying. He ran his finger over the scar on his eye.   
  
  
  
I killed him, he thought. I had to let go of his hand. I had to let him get washed away by the current. He buried his head in his arms and started sobbing.  
  
  
  
"Chichiri? Is everything O.K.?" Chichiri raised his tear stained face and saw Tasuki standing over him with a worried look.  
  
  
  
"Yeah," Chichiri said. "Just...just..." his voice cracked as more tears came out. Tasuki sat down and comfortingly put his arm around Chichiri's shoulders.  
  
  
  
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Tasuki said. "Just cry."  
  
  
  
"You're a good guy, Tasuki," Chichiri said through his tears. "It may not seem like it at first, but you are." Tasuki smiled, despite the fact that this was a serious moment.  
  
  
  
Tasuki let Chichiri cry until he was all cried out. Chichiri was still shaking, so Tasuki offered him a bottle of saké. Chichiri refused it at first, but then took it when Tasuki told him that it would help calm his nerves.  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Ji-na leaned against a tree and watched Chichiri drink the saké Tasuki offered him. She thought he looked better without his mask than with it. She wondered how he got his scar.   
  
  
  
She imagined him in a great battle, a warrior in shining armor with a gleaming sword hanging on his hip. He was fighting with another soldier when the soldier took his sword, swung it in a high arc above his head, and brought it down, slicing Chichiri's left eye.  
  
  
  
He's wonderful, she thought to herself.   
  
  
  
Who? asked a voice in her head.   
  
  
  
Both Chichiri and Tasuki, I guess, she responded to the voice. They're both pretty cute. But Tasuki doesn't like girls. I don't care. I can still dream.  
  
  
  
Ji-na heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Miaka walking toward her. She bowed to Miaka.   
  
  
  
"You don't have to bow to me," Miaka said with a giggle.  
  
  
  
"My apologies, Miko," Ji-na said.  
  
  
  
"You don't have to talk to me formally, either. I'm just a normal teenage girl. And please don't call me 'Miko'. My name is Miaka and I don't want to be called anything else." Ji-na nodded, then turned back to watch Chichiri and Tasuki.  
  
  
  
"What'cha looking at?" Miaka asked playfully.  
  
  
  
"Chichiri and Tasuki. I think they're cute."  
  
  
  
"My advice is this: if you want to go with one of them, go with Chichiri. Tasuki's a jerk."  
  
  
  
"Well, I wasn't exactly thinking of going with any one of them..."  
  
  
  
"Riiight. HEY, CHICHIRI!" Ji-na quickly clamped a hand over Miaka's mouth and the two ducked behind some bushes.  
  
  
  
"Are you crazy?" Ji-na asked in an angry whisper.  
  
  
  
"I was just trying to hook you up," Miaka said with an innocent look on her face.  
  
  
  
"Try to do it a bit more quietly next time."  
  
  
  
"So you do want me to hook you up."  
  
  
  
"Yes! I mean, no! I mean, could you? No! Argh!"  
  
  
  
"Wait here." Miaka got up and walked over to where Chichiri and Tasuki were sitting.  
  
  
  
"Miaka, come back here!" Ji-na whispered urgently. But Miaka was too far away to hear.  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Chichiri put his mask back on, feeling slightly lightheaded from the saké.   
  
  
  
"Thanks, Tasuki no da," he said, handing the bottle back to him.  
  
  
  
"No problem," Tasuki answered. "If you want a drink, I'm your man." Tasuki took a hearty chug from the bottle and wiped his mouth on his sleeve.  
  
  
  
"Hey, Chichiri," Miaka said, coming towards him.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Hi, Miaka no da."  
  
  
  
"Chichiri, what do you think about Ji-na?"  
  
  
  
"Are you trying to hook me up no da?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Um, yes," said Miaka as she started to rub the back of her neck, which she usually did when she was nervous or in an awkward mood.  
  
  
  
"I don't want to hurt her feelings no da, but after what happened to Kouran and Hikou,"  
  
Chichiri took off his mask. "I don't want to take another chance at love."  
  
  
  
"Oh, well, thanks for your time Chichiri!" said Miaka, looking a little disappointed as she left.  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
"So?" Ji-na asked anxiously as Miaka walked back to the bushes where she was sitting.  
  
  
  
"To tell you the truth," said Miaka. "He said that he didn't want to take another chance at love. Not after what happened last time."  
  
  
  
"What happened to him?"  
  
  
  
"It's a long story. You should ask him to tell it to you sometime."  
  
  
  
"Maybe," Ji-na was looking a little downcast.  
  
  
  
"Listen," said Miaka, trying to cheer Ji-na up. "If you want, I can try to hook you up with Tasuki. I know he doesn't like girls, but maybe- "  
  
  
  
"No, it's O.K.," Ji-na said, cutting her off. "You don't have to do that for me."  
  
  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
  
  
"Positive."   
  
  
  
Miaka went over to Tamahome, who had just walked outside. He greeted her with a kiss.  
  
  
  
I wish I had someone who loved me like that, Ji-na thought as she saw Miaka and Tamahome passionately kissing. Someone to hold, to go to whenever I feel upset, to be my whole world.  
  
  
  
She picked up a flower and started pulling off its petals.  
  
  
  
He loves me, he loves me not, she thought as she imagined Chichiri's face each time she pulled off a petal. She kept doing this until she was down to the last two petals.  
  
  
  
He loves me not, he loves me. Ji-na smiled as she pulled off the last petal and watched it float to the ground.  
  
About three a.m. the next morning...  
  
  
  
Ji-na tried to keep her eyes open as Hotohori dealt out the cards again. They were in Hotohori's chambers, playing their fifth game of go fish, after playing three games of crazy eights, two games of poker, and six games of war (A/N: let's just imagine that when Miaka brought that big backpack of things from home, she also brought a deck of cards and taught the seishi to play), Ji-na's eyes kept closing.  
  
  
  
"I think you'd better go to bed," Hotohori said, putting an arm on her shoulder. Ji-na nodded sleepily and stumbled to the door.  
  
  
  
"Good night," Ji-na said, trying to hold back a yawn.  
  
  
  
"Good night, Ji-na," Hotohori replied. Ji-na yawned, and left.  
  
  
  
Walking down the hall, back to her room, Ji-na heard a voice coming from Chichiri's room.  
  
  
  
Chichiri sounded like he was calling out to someone. She stuck her head in the door, to make sure that nothing was wrong with him. When she saw that there was no one in his room, she walked over to his bed, her tiredness forgotten, to make sure that there was nothing wrong with him.  
  
  
  
"Don't leave me, Kouran!" Chichiri called out in his sleep. "Don't leave me!" Ji-na noticed that he didn't say 'no da' after his sentences this time.  
  
  
  
"Chichiri," Ji-na whispered to him softly.  
  
  
  
"Chichiri, wake up."  
  
  
  
"No, Kouran, don't leave!" Chichiri called out again.  
  
  
  
He's having a nightmare, Ji-na thought. I hope he's not sick. To make sure that he wasn't, she put her lips to his forehead.  
  
  
  
It was like putting her lips to a hot iron. Ji-na quickly pulled her head back, her lips hot from Chichiri.  
  
  
  
I have to go tell Saihitei, she thought. I have to go now. She quickly ran out the door in the direction of Hotohori's chambers, Chichiri's yells for Kouran following her.  
  
  
  
"Saihitei!" she cried, pounding on his door.  
  
  
  
"Saihitei!" Hotohori opened the door, wearing nothing but a bathrobe.  
  
  
  
"What is it, Ji-na?" Hotohori asked urgently, seeing the worried look on Ji-na's face.  
  
  
  
"It's Chichiri," she said quickly. "He's burning up. Follow me." She ran back towards Chichiri's room, closely followed by Hotohori.  
  
  
  
Ji-na burst through the doors of Chichiri's room, not caring how much noise she made. He was sick, and he needed help.  
  
  
  
"No, Kouran!" Chichiri yelled. "Don't leave! Come back!" He was tossing and turning.  
  
  
  
"I think he's delirious," Hotohori said.  
  
  
  
"Call Mitsukake, then. He can take care of it, can't he?" Ji-na asked.  
  
  
  
"Mitsukake's a deep sleeper. I doubt he would wake up at this hour, even if someone shot fireworks by his ear."  
  
  
  
"Well then, what should we do?"  
  
  
  
"I'll go to the kitchen and ask for a bowl of water and a clean rag." With that, Hotohori left, leaving Ji-na feeling scared and alone.  
  
Chichiri was still crying out for Kouran in his sleep. Please get better, Ji-na thought as she held Chichiri's burning hand to her face. Please get better.  
  
  
  
Hotohori soon came back with a bowl of water and a dampened rag.  
  
  
  
"Here," he said. Ji-na took the rag and started to sponge off Chichiri's face and neck. Hotohori was halfway to the door when Ji-na spoke.  
  
  
  
"Saihitei, where are you going?"  
  
  
  
"To see if I can wake up Mitsukake."  
  
  
  
"Don't go!" Chichiri cried. "Stop, Kouran! Don't go!" Hotohori left.  
  
  
  
Ji-na continued sponging down Chichiri's neck and face. She reached out to touch his face to see if he cooled down any. She felt his scar with her finger.  
  
  
  
He's not wearing his mask, she thought. I wonder if this Kouran person has anything to do with his scar.  
  
  
  
"Kouran, Kouran," Chichiri moaned, tossing and turning. Ji-na kept sponging him down. Chichiri kept calling for Kouran. Soon, he quieted down.  
  
  
  
After a while, Chichiri opened his eye.  
  
  
  
"Kouran?" he asked softly.  
  
  
  
"No," she said. "It's me, Ji-na."  
  
  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
  
  
"You're sick. You have fever."  
  
  
  
"What happened?"  
  
  
  
"I was going to bed when I heard you cry out for someone named Kouran in your sleep. I came into your room to see what was wrong." It was too dark to see Chichiri's expression.  
  
  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
  
  
"I'd say at least five past three."  
  
  
  
"In the afternoon?"  
  
  
  
"In the morning." Her eyelids started to droop. "I'm so tired." She leaned back in her chair and fell asleep.  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Hotohori burst in the door, closely followed by Mitsukake. Chichiri quickly reached for his mask and put it on, feeling vulnerable without it.  
  
  
  
"What's going on no da?" he asked. "Why are you here?"  
  
  
  
"There's no need to be alarmed," Mitsukake said. "I'm going to heal you."  
  
  
  
That's so typically Mitsukake, Chichiri thought. Act as calm as possible, no matter what's going on no da.  
  
  
  
Mitsukake held out his left hand, palm facing Chichiri. Suddenly, a bright light filled the  
  
room and Mitsukake's sign appeared on his palm.  
  
  
  
Chichiri felt his fever going down. Soon, he felt much better. The fever was gone.  
  
  
  
"Thanks, Mitsukake," Chichiri said. "I feel a lot better now no da." Mitsukake yawned in reply.  
  
  
  
"It's so late," he said, rubbing his eyes. "I'm going to go back to bed." He turned to go, followed by Hotohori.  
  
  
  
"Hey, wait no da!" Chichiri called. Hotohori and Mitsukake stopped and turned to look at Chichiri. "Aren't you going to take Ji-na no da?" He nodded towards Ji-na, who was sound asleep on a chair.  
  
  
  
"Oh," said Hotohori. "Right." He picked up Ji-na in his arms and left the room. Mitsukake followed.  
  
  
  
Thanks, Ji-na no da, Chichiri thought. For just being there. Chichiri took off his mask, sighed, and closed his eye. He soon fell asleep.  
  
A/N: I know, I know, Tasuki wasn't speaking the  
  
way he usually does in this chapter. That was  
  
because I tried to write it in with the "ya"s and  
  
stuff like that, but it just ended up reminding  
  
me of Hagrid, which wasn't the point.  
  
I have a fair amount of people to thank, so...  
  
Special thanks to:  
  
Luminaglow (I'm glad you liked it ^_^)  
  
shadow priestess (Do you have an opinion now?  
  
About the name Ji-na: I was in second grade when  
  
I had this special Japanese class and Ji-na is  
  
supposed to be the Japanese version of my real  
  
name, Dena.)  
  
TA Maxwell (Yup, I do know what you think of it.  
  
Extra special thanks to you for helping me out of  
  
my writers block all those times. ^.^)  
  
gloriaklompen (Extra special thanks for uploading  
  
my stories for me.)  
  
Emily (Extra extra special thanks for getting me  
  
hooked on Fushigi Yugi. Without you, this story  
  
wouldn't have existed.) 


	3. You Want Me to WHAT!

Ji-na's eyes snapped open. Sunlight poured into her room. Memories from last night came flooding into her brain.  
  
  
  
Who is Kouran, anyway? Ji-na thought as she sat up in bed. Her head felt heavy, like it was filled with stones. She closed her eyes and lay back down.  
  
  
  
There was a knock at her door.  
  
  
  
"Come in," Ji-na said. Chichiri came in with a tray of food.  
  
  
  
"Hello no da," he said.  
  
  
  
"Hi," Ji-na responded. She looked at the tray of food. "Did I miss breakfast?"  
  
  
  
"Lunch, actually no da." He put the tray of food on her bed and sat down, on the bed, facing her. Ji-na started to eat her food. The room filled with an awkward silence while she ate.  
  
  
  
"Chichiri, who's Kouran?" Ji-na asked, trying to break the silence. Chichiri took off his mask.  
  
  
  
"See this scar?" he asked, pointing to the scar that closed his left eye. Ji-na nodded. "It was partly because of Kouran that I got it."  
  
  
  
"So, was Kouran a soldier, or a bandit, or something like that?" Chichiri laughed.  
  
  
  
"Hardly," he said. "She was my fiancée."  
  
  
  
Ji-na's eyes widened as she ate her rice.  
  
  
  
"How could she do that to you?"  
  
  
  
"She didn't do it exactly, but it was through her doing that I got it." Chichiri's eye sparkled with unshed tears as he unfolded his story.  
  
"When I was younger, I was engaged to a woman named Kouran. I was so in love with her. She was beautiful, nice, smart, every guy's dream. It was on the day flood season started that everything happened. I went around looking for her, and found her kissing my best friend, whose name was Hikou. I don't quite remember how, but I started to fight him. It was raining then. The river that flowed through my town had swelled over its banks. Somehow, while Hikou and I were fighting, we had gone down to the banks  
  
of the river. I don't quite remember how, but Kouran got swept away by the river. Hikou fell in and almost drowned, but I grabbed his hand, my anger forgotten. I held tight, until a log came floating towards me and hit me in the eye. I let go of Hikou's hand. The log left a wound on my eye, and I never let it heal as a remembrance to that day. That's how I got this scar." Tears leaked out of Chichiri's good eye. "I was afraid that the scar on my eye might frighten people, so I wear a mask..." Chichiri gulped as he tried to keep his voice from cracking. "That always smiles." Chichiri started to cry.  
  
  
  
Ji-na sat there, not knowing what to do. She felt awkward seeing Chichiri cry, considering the fact that he was older than she was. She put her arms on his shoulders and pulled him into a hug. She didn't really know why she did it, but she felt that he just needed one.  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry," she said. She wanted to say something else, but she didn't quite know what else to say.  
  
  
  
Chichiri seemed to have snapped out of a daze. He returned her hug.  
  
  
  
"Thank you," he said. "I needed that." He wiped away his tears, and put his mask on.  
  
  
  
"No, please don't put on your mask," Ji-na said quickly. Chichiri looked at her.  
  
  
  
"Why?" he asked.  
  
  
  
Oh, great, she thought. Now what am I gonna say? 'Because I think you look cute without it'?  
  
  
  
  
  
"Because you seem more...normal...without it," she said. "With your mask you seem...not quite...real. It makes me feel sort of uncomfortable when I see you with the mask. You know...it's...weird."  
  
"Maybe," he said, putting his mask back on. "But I feel vulnerable without it, like everyone's staring at me no da. It makes me feel uncomfortable no da."  
  
  
  
"Why do you do that?"  
  
  
  
"What no da?"  
  
  
  
"That. The 'no da' after every sentence."  
  
  
  
Chichiri shrugged.  
  
  
  
"I'm not really sure no da. It just sort of comes when I put on my mask no da."  
  
  
  
Hotohori opened the door and stuck his head in the room.  
  
  
  
"Good afternoon Ji-na," he said, going over and sitting down on her bed. He was wearing his royal robe and crown. Ji-na always wondered how he could fit all that hair into that little box-like crown on top of his head.  
  
  
  
"Hey, Saihitei," Ji-na responded. "What's up?" Hotohori suddenly seemed to find the sleeve of his robe interesting.  
  
  
  
"Well, it's sort of...personal..." Hotohori gave Chichiri a sideways glance.  
  
  
  
"I understand," Chichiri said. "You're kicking me out no da. I'll leave now." He got up and left.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Ji-na, there are a few things I want to tell you."  
  
  
  
"Like..." she said, fearing the worst.  
  
  
  
"First of all, I would like you to call me Hotohori instead of Saihitei. I'm more comfortable with that name. Second of all, do you know why you're here?"  
  
  
  
"Because I'm your cousin?"  
  
  
  
"More specifically." Ji-na cocked her head, wondering what Hotohori was trying to make her understand.  
  
  
  
"Because you want to spend some more time with your family members?" Hotohori buried his face in his hands.  
  
  
  
"You don't know?"  
  
  
  
"Don't know what?"  
  
  
  
"I wish they had told you."  
  
  
  
"Don't know what?"  
  
  
  
"I don't think I can bring myself to tell you."  
  
  
  
"DON'T KNOW WHAT?!?!?!?!"  
  
  
  
"Alright, alright," Hotohori took a deep breath. "The reason I asked you to come here is...well...you know how sometimes when it comes to royalty, it's traditional to marry your cousin to keep the royal bloodline going?"  
  
  
  
He did not just say that, Ji-na thought to herself. My cousin did not just propose to me. A feeling of terrible, overwhelming panic started to flow through her.  
  
  
  
"Ji-na," Hotohori said quietly. "I know this is coming as a terrible shock to you. It came as a shock to me, too, but we must do as the elders say."  
  
  
  
Oh, Suzaku, Ji-na thought. I think I'm going to cry. I think I'm going to scream.  
  
~*~  
  
Chichiri stopped in his tracks as a terrible, high-pitched scream filled the corridors.  
  
  
  
I wonder what that was no da, he thought. I hope nothing bad has happened.   
  
There was another scream, followed by sobs coming from Ji-na's room. Chichiri quickly went back to her room.  
  
  
  
Before he opened the door, he heard voices and stopped to listen.  
  
  
  
"Sick! Perverted! Freak!" Ji-na yelled through sobs. There were a series of soft fwumps following. Chichiri figured that Ji-na must be hitting someone or something with her pillow.  
  
  
  
"Stop it!" Hotohori cried. "It's not my idea!"  
  
  
  
"But I can't marry you!"   
  
  
  
"Why not?"  
  
  
  
"Because you're eighteen! That's a five year difference! And anyway, I don't want to marry you!"  
  
  
  
"But weather you want to or not isn't your choice. It's the elders'."  
  
  
  
"I don't care! I don't love you like that! I love someone else," she added quietly.  
  
  
  
"Who?"  
  
  
  
"Chichiri." Chichiri felt numb. No one had said something like that about him since the days when Kouran and Hikou were still alive.  
  
  
  
"I don't believe you!" Hotohori screamed. "You're in love with Chichiri and you complain about me being too old?!"  
  
  
  
"Well, he's at most seventeen, isn't he?"  
  
  
  
"What are you talking about? He's twenty-four!"  
  
  
  
"Twenty-four...? That's an eleven year difference..." Chichiri did some quick figuring in his head.  
  
  
  
An eleven year difference, he thought. That makes her thirteen no da! And I thought she was at least sixteen... But before he could get any further, his thoughts were interrupted by more arguing.  
  
  
  
"Look, just get out of my room."  
  
  
  
"Your room?"  
  
  
  
"Yeah, my room."  
  
  
  
"In my palace?"  
  
  
  
"Fine," Ji-na said angrily as she opened the door and walked straight into Chichiri.  
  
  
  
"Ji-na no da!" Chichiri exclaimed at loss for words.  
  
  
  
"Chichiri!" Hotohori said as he came out of the room. "What are you doing here?"  
  
  
  
"I heard Ji-na scream and I came to see what was wrong, but before I opened the door, I heard arguing and stopped to listen no da."  
  
  
  
"So you heard everything we said?" Ji-na asked, her tear stained face turning pink. Chichiri nodded. "I want to go home," she whimpered.  
  
  
  
"Ji-na," Hotohori said quietly as he touched her hair. "Don't go just because Chichiri heard us arguing." Ji-na lashed out at him.  
  
  
  
"It's not because of Chichiri!" she screamed. "It's because of you." She pointed her finger threateningly at Hotohori. "When you proposed to me, I felt attacked. I still do. You're not the cousin I know anymore. You're a stranger." She turned on her heel and left, with Hotohori and Chichiri staring at her retreating figure.  
  
~*~  
  
He's not my cousin, he's not my cousin, Ji-na thought with each footstep that fell as she walked through the courtyard. Unfortunately, she didn't see where she was going and tripped.  
  
  
  
"I - I'm sorry, Ji-na," someone said as they helped her up. She looked up and found herself staring into Tamahome's eyes.  
  
  
  
"No, it's my fault," she responded. "I didn't see where I was going."  
  
  
  
"What's the matter, Ji-na?" asked Miaka who was sitting nearby. "You look troubled."  
  
  
  
"I don't want to talk about it right now," Ji-na said.  
  
  
  
"Well come sit with us anyway. We can talk about whatever you like." Ji- na sat down across from Miaka. Tamahome sat down next to Miaka and put his arm around her shoulders.  
  
  
  
They look so happy together, Ji-na thought. I wish it was like that for me and Chichiri. But he's eleven years older than me, and a monk. Also, Hotohori wants to marry me, so I don't think I'll ever get the chance to actually tell Chichiri face-to-face how I feel. It's hard to be a princess sometimes.  
  
  
  
"Thinking about Chichiri?" Miaka asked Ji-na.  
  
  
  
"What about Chichiri?" Tamahome asked.  
  
  
  
"Nothing," Ji-na said before Miaka opened her mouth.  
  
"There you are, Ji-na!" Ji-na turned around and saw Hotohori coming towards her. She could feel anger burning up inside her.   
  
  
  
"Hi, Hotohori," Miaka said with a smile.  
  
  
  
"You know, Ji-na," Hotohori said, ignoring Miaka. "You can't ignore the elder's wishes. You have to do what they say."  
  
  
  
"What happened to you?" Ji-na asked angrily. "You're not the cousin I know anymore. Last time I saw you, if you were told that you had to marry me, you would have freaked out. But you seemed so calm, like that was the normal thing to do. I will not tolerate this this anymore. I'm going home first thing tomorrow, even if I have to walk all the way there." Ji-na picked herself up, and walked to her room to start packing.  
  
A/N: Special thanks to gloriaklompen who is nice  
  
enough to upload my story because i can't. She  
  
was also my only reviewer for the last chapter as  
  
of 10-2-02, and I'm pretty pissed about that,  
  
because this is my first fy fanfic, and I want to  
  
know what people think about it! (I know "Fancy"  
  
was uploaded first, but I started working on this  
  
one earlier. That reminds me, I didn't get any  
  
reviews for "Fancy" as of 10-2-02, and I'm pretty  
  
pissed about that, too because it's my first  
  
songfic, and I want to know what people think  
  
about it.) ANYWHO, I think I should stop talking  
  
now. 


	4. Slight Misunderstandings

"What...is...Hotohori's...problem..." Ji-na said to herself as she threw random belongings of hers into one of her trunks. "He's...not...listening...to...anything...I...say..." Chichiri stuck his head in her room.  
  
"Want to come outside with me no da?" he asked.  
  
"I was just there," she said as she continued to throw things into the trunk.  
  
"You're not thinking of seriously going home, are you no da?" Ji-na nodded. "Why no da?"  
  
"I don't want to marry Hotohori." Ji-na felt like she was fighting a losing battle. "Aside from the fact that he's my cousin and I don't feel like it's right that he marry me, he's changed so much since I last saw him. It's a little scary to see him after all these years and find him acting like a different person."  
  
"But you know why he's acting like this, don't you no da?"  
  
"It's because of what happened to his family, isn't it?"  
  
"Exactly no da. I'm sure you know what happened to him. Ever since he took the throne, he's had to mature quickly. He has to keep a sensible head on his shoulders, so he hides his emotions no da."  
  
"Like you?" Ji-na could have kicked herself for saying that. She knew he would probably hate her now. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't mean that."  
  
"No," Chichiri said. "You're right. I also hide my emotions." There was a far-off tone in his voice as he said it. "So give Hotohori another chance no da," he said, the far-off tone in his voice gone. "Because he was probably freaking out, too. He just didn't show it no da."  
  
"I...guess..." Ji-na said. Then all of a sudden, she started crying. "I'm sorry," she said through her tears. "I'm just so mixed up. I'm not quite sure what to do."  
  
"That's alright no da," Chichiri said, giving her a hug. "I felt the same way with Kouran and Hikou." Ji-na hugged him back.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered. "I feel a lot better now."  
  
"So you're staying no da?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"You're finally together! I knew it was a good idea to try and hook you two up!" Chichiri and Ji-na looked up to see Miaka bouncing up and down excitedly in the doorway.  
  
"Miaka, we're not together," Ji-na said, quickly wiping the tears away from her eyes.  
  
"Yes, we're just friends no da," Chichiri said.  
  
"Oh, come on," Miaka said, starting to annoy Ji-na greatly. "I saw you two hugging. It's a case of true love."  
  
"No," Chichiri said. "We're not in love no da."  
  
"Please, Chichiri," Miaka continued. "You're just denying it. I'm sure that if I walked in on you any later, you would've been kissing - "  
  
"MIAKA!" Chichiri yelled. "BE QUIET NO DA!" The whole room fell silent. It was unusual for Chichiri to loose his temper. Even Ji-na knew that. "STOP THINKING THAT JI-NA AND I ARE IN LOVE, ALRIGHT NO DA?" Chichiri started to pace the room and talk very animatedly. "WE'RE JUST FRIENDS! WHAT MADE YOU THINK THAT WE WERE IN LOVE IN THE FIRST PLACE NO DA? I MEAN, I'M A MONK FOR SUZAKU'S SAKE. MONKS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO FALL IN LOVE!" Everyone, including Chichiri just stared with their mouths open. "I'm...sorry no da," he said. "I don't know what got into me."  
  
I'm so stupid, Ji-na thought. How could I have ever thought that Chichiri would return my love? He's a monk with a hard past who's eleven years older than me. How could I have ever gotten my hopes up?  
  
"Ji-na?" Miaka asked. "What are you staring at?"  
  
"I wasn't staring," Ji-na said. "Just...thinking...about how stupid I am to think that Chichiri could ever love me back." Ji-na wasn't quite sure whay she said that, but she knew she had to tell Chichiri face-to-face about her feelings sometime.  
  
"Ji-na no da...?" Chichiri asked.  
  
"YES!" Ji-na said. "I'm madly in love with you! You heard that I loved you when I had that argument with Hotohori, but you didn't know how much. Now you do. I would go to the ends of the earth and back for you, Chichiri. That's how much I love you." Ji-na felt all shaky after saying that. She wondered how Chichiri would respond.  
  
"I...don't know what to say no da," Chichiri said. "I'm...flattered...."  
  
"Uh, Ji-na," Miaka said. "Don't you think you should tell Hotohori about all this? I mean, this is only your second day here and you're supossed to marry him."  
  
"Good idea," Ji-na said. "But what should I say? 'Hey, Hotohori, guess what?! I'm not going to marry you because I'm in love with a monk!' And anyway, he already knows I like Chichiri."  
  
"O.K., well that's over and done with," Miaka said thoughtfully. "Now we have to think of a way to try and avoid this marrige...hmmm..."  
  
"Wait." Miaka turned to look at Ji-na. "Shouldn't we let Chichiri have his say about what's going on? He hasn't said much about this situation. So as far as we know, he could be estatic about me marrying Hotohori." Ji-na turned to Chichiri. "So, what do you think?"  
  
"I...I...I..." Chichiri said, evidently trying to say something but not being able to find the right words. "I care for you deeply, Ji-na, but I'm not sure if I love you or not no da. Even though it's only been two days, we've been through a lot together, and you've gotten to know me pretty well no da. I feel a lot more comfortable around you, and you feel more than just a friend, and...sweet Suzaku, I don't even know what I'm saying anymore no da."  
  
"It's hard to pay attention when you're in love," Miaka said slyly.  
  
"Can you just be quiet no da? I'm trying to tell Ji-na that I love her, and it would be a lot easier without interruption no da." Ji-na and Miaka took one look at each other and burst out laughing. Chichiri looked furious with himself.  
  
A/N: Hey, everybody! More thanks to give out! TA Maxwell: Thanks a lot for reviewing the third chapter! You're my complete idol!  
  
Gloriaklompen: thanks for reviewing each chapter!  
  
Rythmandsoul: maybe it was a little fast-paced, but there's a lot more to come. 


	5. Coincidence? Nahhh

Chichiri couldn't believe what he had gotten  
  
himself into. In two days he had fallen in love  
  
with a girl who was eleven years younger than  
  
him, became delirious from a high fever, gotten  
  
healed in less than five minutes, and spilled his  
  
past to a complete stranger.  
  
But there was something about Ji-na that made  
  
him feel comfortable. Not that he didn't feel  
  
comfortable around the other seishi, but it was  
  
as if he knew her from somewhere before, maybe in  
  
a past life.  
  
"Hey, Chichiri," Miaka said, waving a hand in  
  
front of his face. "Snap out of it!"  
  
"Oh, sorry no da." Ji-na giggled.  
  
Chichiri was sitting at a table in Kouran's  
  
house. A little girl of about six or seven was  
  
sitting across from him.  
  
"Why do you like big sister so much?" she asked  
  
him.  
  
"You've never been in love, have you?" he asked  
  
her. She giggled.  
  
"Of course not, silly! I'm only seven!"  
  
"Jun-ling!" a voice from the next room called.  
  
"What are you telling Houjun?"  
  
"Oh...nothing..." She giggled again.  
  
"Wow," Miaka said. "Have you ever seen someone  
  
go in and out of a trance, then back in again  
  
that quickly?"  
  
"Ji-na," Chichiri said, ignoring Miaka turning  
  
to Ji-na. "Does the name 'Jun-ling' mean  
  
anything to you no da?"  
  
"No," Ji-na said.  
  
"Look," Miaka cut in. "I don't mean to be rude,  
  
but how is this helping to stop the marriage?"  
  
~*~  
  
The days passed, with Ji-na, Miaka, and Chichiri  
  
feverishly planning how to stop the marriage.  
  
None of the ideas seemed to work.  
  
One day, Chichiri decided to take Miaka and  
  
Ji-na to town, his treat. He said getting out of  
  
the palace for a little while would make Ji-na  
  
stop feeling so stressed. She and Miaka agreed.  
  
After walking through the market for a while,  
  
they stopped by a fountain to rest. Chichiri  
  
looked down into the water, his mind obviously  
  
somewhere else. Ji-na looked over his shoulder  
  
at their reflections in the water.  
  
"Kouran!" Chichiri said, turning around quickly  
  
and facing Ji-na. "Oops no da," he said,  
  
realizing his mistake. "You know," suddenly  
  
exclaimed, cupping her chin in his hand and  
  
looking her face over. "You look absolutely  
  
nothing like Hotohori no da."  
  
"I know, everybody says that," Ji-na said.  
  
"Yeah, but you resemble Kouran no da."  
  
"Coincidence," Ji-na said, shrugging it off.  
  
A young woman who was carrying a big bag sat  
  
down at the edge of the fountain. When Chichiri  
  
and Miaka saw her, they both choked.  
  
"Are you alright?" the young woman asked when  
  
she heard Chichiri and Miaka choke.  
  
"N - Nuriko?" Miaka asked. "I thought you were  
  
dead?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" the young woman  
  
asked. "My name is Houki."  
  
"Houki," Chichiri said. "I think the emperor  
  
should see you no da." He held out his hand to  
  
her but she didn't accept it.  
  
"How can I be sure that you're actually going to  
  
take me to the emperor?" Houki's grip tightened  
  
around her bag.  
  
"You'll just have to trust us," Miaka piped up.  
  
Houki looked helplessly from Miaka to Chichiri to  
  
Ji-na.  
  
"No time to decide no da!" Chichiri said as he  
  
spread out his kesa on the ground. Miaka jumped  
  
in and disappeared. Ji-na had no time to voice  
  
her amazement because Chichiri had given her a  
  
slight push towards his kesa and told her to jump  
  
in.  
  
Ji-na jumped in, and instead of hitting hard  
  
ground as she expected, she was standing in the  
  
throne room of the palace.  
  
"Woah..." Ji-na said as she saw Chichiri  
  
materialize holding both Houki and his kesa.  
  
"That was too cool." Houki, on the other hand,  
  
didn't think so. She was kicking and screaming,  
  
telling Chichiri to let her go. Her bag had  
  
fallen, it's contents spilling on the floor.  
  
"Chichiri," Hotohori, who was sitting on his  
  
throne said. "Who's your friend?"  
  
But Chichiri didn't have a chance to answer  
  
because at that moment, Tamahome and Tasuki came  
  
running into the throne room, screaming for  
  
Chichiri.  
  
"Chichiri!" Tamahome screamed. "You have to set  
  
up ghost wards for me and Tasuki! Nuriko's  
  
spirit's been following us!"  
  
"Look!" Tasuki cried, his finger pointed at  
  
Houki. "It's Nuriko!" This resulted in Tamahome  
  
and Tasuki screaming their lungs out, Ji-na,  
  
Chichiri, and Miaka laughing, Hotohori trying to  
  
suppress his laughter, and Houki just standing  
  
there, looking like she had just walked onto the  
  
property of a mental asylum.  
  
When the screaming had stopped and everything  
  
had more or less calmed down, Chichiri introduced  
  
Houki to everybody who was in the throne room.  
  
"Houki," Hotohori asked. "What brings you  
  
here?"  
  
"Well, Your Majesty," Houki said bowing low,  
  
finally figuring out where she was. "I was at  
  
the market, doing my shopping. Then I stopped at  
  
a fountain to rest. I encountered your friend  
  
here," she pointed to Chichiri. "He said that  
  
you would like to see me. Said I looked like  
  
somebody named Nuriko."  
  
"He's right," Hotohori replied, studying her  
  
face. "You look just like him."  
  
"You are a girl, right?" Miaka asked Houki.  
  
"Of course I am!" Houki said, a little annoyed.  
  
Miaka checked anyway.  
  
"I think we'll leave you two alone now no da,"  
  
Chichiri announced as he tugged on Miaka's  
  
jacket, indicating that she leave Houki alone.  
  
Everyone left the throne room.  
  
Ji-na went over to the courtyard to take a walk.  
  
She found Chichiri fishing in the pond.  
  
A/N: Heya! I probably screwed up Houki's  
  
entrance, but I haven't seen that far in the  
  
series, and this is supposed to be an AU fic.  
  
special thanks to:  
  
gloriaklompen! She's uploaded every chapter of  
  
this story except chapter 4, because I did that  
  
at school. Let's give her a big hand!  
  
TA Maxwell! She's always given me great ideas  
  
when I have a mean case of writer's block. (And  
  
she's my idol ^_^)  
  
AniFuz! I'm glad you finally reviewed it. Yes,  
  
Tasuki IS cool, but Chichiri is SO MUCH cooler!  
  
:-P Cya @ AC soon! (Hopefully we can find a good  
  
date to see Spirited Away.)  
  
Princess Death! Glad you liked this chapter!  
  
There's a lot more to come. 


	6. The Water That Floats the Boat Can Also ...

Ji-na went over to the courtyard to take a walk. She found Chichiri fishing in the pond.  
  
"Hey!" Ji-na called to Chichiri.  
  
"Hello no da," Chichiri replied.  
  
"Catch anything yet?"  
  
"No, but it doesn't really matter. If I catch something, I always throw it back no da."  
  
Ji-na walked over to the pond, took off her shoes, and stuck her feet in. The water felt cool against her legs.  
  
"The water sure is nice," she said to no one in particular. "I wish I knew how to swim. If I did, I would right now."  
  
"How come you don't know how to swim no DA?"  
  
"I've never told anyone because I find it sort of embarrassing, but...." Ji- na took a deep breath. "I've never learned how to swim because I'm always so scared that I'll be dragged under and drowned."  
  
"If you want to, I can give you lessons no da."  
  
"No, that's O.K...." but Chichiri was already taking off his shoes and socks.  
  
"Come on, it'll be fun no da!" he rolled up his pants past his knees and stepped into the water. He took off his shirt and kesa threw them onto the ground. He held out his hand to Ji-na.  
  
"I don't want to!" Ji-na protested. Chichiri grabbed her hand.  
  
"Get in no da!" He started to pull her forward.  
  
"No!" she protested, pulling herself back.  
  
Chichiri put his foot up on the ground so he could brace himself and pulled hard. Ji-na pulled back equally hard.  
  
Her eye caught the symbol on his knee. Suddenly, she found herself sitting in a small house with a dirt floor. A boy older than her with hair like Chichiri's was sitting across from a girl who looked about the same age as the boy. Ji-na was standing a few feet away from them.  
  
"Look," the boy said, rolling back his pants and showing the girl something on his knee. What it was, she couldn't see.  
  
"See this? This means that I'm a Suzaku seishi. So when the Suzaku no Miko comes, she has to collect seven people with symbols on their bodies in order to conduct the ceremony and summon Suzaku. Each seishi has special powers."  
  
"What's yours?" the girl asked him.  
  
"I don't know," the boy responded.  
  
"But I'll know by the time the Suzaku no Miko comes."  
  
"You have a symbol on your body? That's so amazing!" Ji-na cried, running forward to look at the boy's knee. She could see the girl roll her eyes.  
  
"My mother sometimes tells me stories about the seven seishi." she grabbed his knee and looked at the symbol. "So your symbol is 'well', huh? Then your seishi name must be Chichiri! Am I right, Houjun? Am I?"  
  
"Yup," Houjun/Chichiri said, giving her a wink. "You sure know a lot about the seishi. How old are you? Six?"  
  
"Uh-huh." "Your sister's pretty smart," Chichiri/Houjun said to the other girl.  
  
"Tell me about it," the girl said as she rolled her eyes again. "She won't shut up about it. She talks about the constellations more than a person can stand. I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes the Suzaku no Miko."  
  
Suddenly, Ji-na found her self surrounded by water. She couldn't breathe. She was surrounded by water, swirling water. She felt herself sinking. Suddenly, she felt the back of her robe get grabbed by something. She was being pulled upward.  
  
Her head broke the surface and she found herself able to breathe again.  
  
"Are you O.K. no da?" Chichiri asked. She latched herself onto him, needing to hold something stable.  
  
"I was so scared!" she sobbed, burying her head in his chest.  
  
"So scared!"  
  
"I was pretty scared, too no da," he said, stroking her hair. "When I was pulling your hand, your eyes rolled back into your head and you went limp. I pulled you into the water without meaning to. Let's go back inside so we can dry off no da." Ji-na didn't move.  
  
"Look, I can't get you inside if you don't let me walk no da."  
  
"Don't let go of me," Ji-na whispered into his chest. "I don't want this to turn out like last time."  
  
"Last time no da?" Ji-na looked up at him, her eyes meeting his.  
  
"When I was about six or seven, there was a flood that destroyed my hometown. I don't remember any of my life there, because during the flood I hit my head on a rock or something along those lines. I don't remember and my parents don't know. The royal family came the next day, my parents with them. I think it was because they were doing their routine inspection. Hotohori was about eleven then. They saw me lying on the banks of the river out cold, and my parents decided to adopt me. I couldn't remember anything about my life, let alone my name, so they gave me the name Ji-na. I never asked them why, but there must be some reason for it." Ji-na shrugged her speech over.  
  
"So that's my life."  
  
"You don't remember anything about your life before being adopted by the royal family no da?"  
  
"Sometimes...I have nightmares about being in a flood. I remember I'm being tossed around, and then I see this hairpin. I grab it and think 'I have to keep it safe for him.' I'm also calling for my mother and someone else. I can't remember who it is, though."  
  
"So you remember nothing else no da?" Ji-na paused for a moment. Should I tell him about the flashback? she thought. She decided not to.  
  
"No." She shook her head.  
  
"Well then, let's get inside no da." "Chichiri," she said suddenly.  
  
"What's your real name?"  
  
"Houjun."  
  
"Weird."  
  
A/N: *evil grin* Interesting, huh? This is what I meant when I said that the story would have a long and complicated plot. Now to dish out the thanks.  
  
Princess Peach: Thanks for the title! No, the title wasn't my idea, it was Princess Peach's. So if you like the title, don't give me the credit, give it to her!  
  
TA Maxwell: Thanks for the fact! I'll try to incorporate it into the fic somehow. Btw, send my regards to Nuriko. He shouldn't feel so down. He's a great muse!  
  
Kittiegoneinsane: Um, could you please explain that in english?  
  
Gloriaklompen: I'm glad you like the story so much! Crackers are in your mouth. Ba boom! (That was random, but as we all know, randomness is good!)  
  
Faeriesinger: I'm really glad you also like this story. Hotohori threatening Ji-na to marry him was defenitly exciting. It's O.K. that you didn't review any of the other chapters before. As long as you enjoyed the story, that's all that matters! ^_^ 


	7. Hebrew Conversations and Smiley Face Box...

Chichiri sat on his bed, wearing only his shirt, due to the fact that his pants were soaked. He was engaging in his favorite pastime, mourning about Kouran. He was so wrapped up in the memories, he didn't notice Tasuki open the door slightly and slip in a piece of paper.  
  
He laughed to himself a little. He remembered once that Kouran told him not to mourn about someone too much. You couldn't change the past, so why waste your life away thinking about them?  
  
"I'm sorry Kouran," Chichiri said out loud. "But it hurt me so much, on the day of the flood. I wish you were still here."  
  
"But I am still here."  
  
Chichiri whirled around to face Kouran, looking not a day older than eighteen.  
  
"Kou...ran?" He took off his mask in order to see her better.  
  
"Yes, Houjun, it's me." She embraced him.  
  
"Kouran!" he cried, hugging her back, sweet tears of joy filling his eyes.  
  
Kouran let go, studying Chichiri's face. She ran her fingers over his scar.  
  
"How did this happen?" she asked him.  
  
"Day of the flood," he replied. "Hikou almost got swept away by the river, but I held onto his hand. Then a log came and hit me in the eye. I let go of Hikou's hand and...he drowned."  
  
"That's...terrible. You were such good friends."  
  
"But he assaulted you."  
  
"It doesn't matter now. What's been done has been done. You can't change the past, you know."  
  
"Yeah,...I know..." He pushed back a lock of her hair that had fallen out of place. She took his hand and leaned against it. He brought her face closer to his, so he could kiss her. But before their lips could meet, Kouran vanished.  
  
"Kouran?" Chichiri looked blankly ahead, not believing what just happened. His eye caught a piece of paper floating towards the floor. He caught it. The paper was thin, with an incantation and the word Kouran written on it.  
  
"Kouran..." he sobbed, cradling the paper gently.  
  
~*~  
  
"Heh," Ji-na smirked, standing behind Tasuki, making him jump.  
  
"Ji-na!" Tasuki said exclaimed. "Wha'd ya have to do that for? Ya almost gave me a heart attack!"  
  
It was like a curtain has been flicked back in Ji-na's brain and all the memories that had taken place before the flood came streaming back to her.  
  
"That was a low thing to do," she went on, ignoring him. "It was like something Hikou would do."  
  
"What did you say?" Chichiri asked, coming to the door. He was dressed in only his shirt, holding his mask and the piece of paper that said Kouran in his hand.  
  
"I said what Tasuki did was like something Hikou would do," Ji-na said. "Don't try to deny it!" she almost shouted, pointing her finger at Chichiri, who's good eye widened. "You didn't see it, but he was a creep. I would always try to tell you guys, but Kouran would push me behind her, or cover my mouth with her hand and be like, 'please excuse my sister. She hasn't learned her manners.' You guys would never listen!"  
  
"Ji-na!" Chichiri shouted.  
  
"I'm talking, Houjun. Be quiet!"  
  
"Ji-na!" he cried again, grabbing her shoulders. "Don't you know what you're saying?"  
  
Ji-na's eyes grew big and her mouth hung open.  
  
"By...the...gods.... Let's go, Chichiri! I have to see Hotohori!" She grabbed Chichiri's hand and began pulling him towards the throne room, ignoring his pleas to get some pants on.  
  
~*~  
  
Ji-na continued to run to the throne room, dragging Chichiri behind her. When they almost got to the throne room, Ji-na stopped short and looked inside. Chichiri saw Hotohori and Hikou talking. Hotohori was smiling. His smile seemed to light up his whole face, unlike when he usually smiled. Then his eyes would still hold a trace of sadness in them.  
  
"He's so happy," Ji-na said in a dreamy voice. "He looks so handsome when he smiles like that."  
  
"I see what you mean," Chichiri replied, nodding his head.  
  
"If Miaka should make only one wish to Suzaku, it should be that Hotohori would love Houki and forget about her."  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
Ji-na turned around to look at Chichiri with a look in her eyes that seemed to say, "you don't know that half of it."  
  
"When Miaka said that she loved Tamahome more than him, he was heartbroken. He hid his feelings from everybody except me. I was the only one he vented his feelings to. You should've read the letters he sent me. So depressing you could die. It's kind of amazing he didn't do anything extreme like commit suicide. I guess he found a reason to keep him going. Then when Tamahome was forced to take the kodaku, he was a little happier. He thought maybe he could win Miaka over this time. Of course he didn't, and he felt like he was wishing in vain for the day Miaka could return his love. I really hope he's happy With Houki."  
  
Chichiri took this as an opportunity to slip away. Ji-na heard him and grabbed his arm.  
  
"Oh, no you don't. Not when I have something important to tell Hotohori."  
  
"But I have to get some pants on," Chichiri said through his teeth.  
  
"C'mon, your pants reach your thighs. It's not too bad."  
  
"What if I trip?"  
  
"Make sure you don't."  
  
"Fine. But if I do, I'm blaming you." Ji-na just shrugged.  
  
"Hotohori!" she cried, bounding into the throne room, her hand gripping tight on Chichiri's arm.  
  
Hotohori looked up and saw Ji-na dragging Chichiri into the throne room. Chichiri felt his cheeks get hot when he saw Hotohori look at him in a weird way. He knew it was because he wasn't wearing any pants.  
  
"Hey, Ji-na," Hotohori said. "What's the - er -" he took a quick look at Chichiri and back at Ji-na "problem?"  
  
Ji-na smiled and started talking to Hotohori in a foreign language. Chichiri recognized the language as Hebrew.  
  
Everybody in the throne room seemed surprised when Ji-na started speaking in Hebrew. They were even more surprised when Hotohori responded in the same language. Then Ji-na said something that made Chichiri's ears perk up.  
  
"Ani ha achot shel Kouran," she said.  
  
"Be'emet?" Hotohori responded, his eyes wide.  
  
"Ken."  
  
"Ze hafta'ah gedolah."  
  
"Ken."  
  
Ji-na took a hairpin out of her pocket and started to twist her hair into a bun. Chichiri recognised that hairpin. It was the one he had given Kouran the day of the flood!  
  
"Ji-na!" Chichiri cried, running up to her. "Don't you know what that hairpin resembles?"  
  
"Yeah," Ji-na said, switching back to Japanese. "It's the one from my dream."  
  
"The nightmare with the flood?"  
  
"The very same."  
  
"Woah, woah, woah," Houki said, obviousily feeling very left out. "Can someone please explain to me why everyone's getting so worked up about a hairpin and Ji-na and Hotohori are talking in another language?"  
  
"Ki ze min ha chalom sheli al ha mabul!" Ji-na exclaimed, turning around and pointing out the hairpin which was now in her hair. "Let me explain that again in a language you would understand," she said, realizing she had just spoken in Hebrew. "I had said that the hairpin was in from a dream I had about a flood."  
  
"Why is that a matter to get worked up about?" Houki asked. Suddenly, everyone was talking at once, trying to explain to her everything that had happened in the last few days.  
  
"Hey, guys!" Miaka cried, suddenly bounding into the room. "Have you seen - " But she was stopped short when she took a look at Chichiri. "Wait a minute. I'll be right back!"  
  
She ran off and returned later with a pair of boxers with pink smiley faces on them.  
  
"Here, Chichiri," she said. "Put these on, willya? I don't want you to run around without any pants on."  
  
There's never a dull moment in Konan, he thought to himself as he put the boxers on, even thought he thought they were kind of stopid-looking.  
  
"Ani lo ma'ahmin she at ha achot shel Kouran," Hotohori said half to himself, half to Ji-na.  
  
Oh no... not with the Hebrew again... Chichiri moaned to himself. He could tell that Houki was thinking the same thing, or something close to it.  
  
"Aval ze emet," Ji-na pouted.  
  
"Ani yoday'a, aval ze me'od... ech omrim 'weird'?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Yeah, well, ze me'od weird."  
  
A/N: Hello all you happy people! Sorry it took so long to upload this chapter, but my life was getting pretty hectic. Grrrrrr... high school applications.... *takes a bazooka and blows up the Department of Ed. building*  
  
Anyway, Thanks to all my reviewers!  
  
TA Maxwell: Glad you liked the title, but I get no credit for it. Princess Peach does.  
  
Fariesinger: Yup, I LOVE it when authors put twists in their stories. That's why I have them in mine.  
  
Ayomi Kittie: Glad you liked the story! Another Tasuki fangirl, huh? I like him, but Chichiri is so much better! (IMHO)  
  
Saturn-hime: Of COURSE randomness is good. That's why Ji-na and Hotohori suddenly start speaking in Hebrew. Btw, thanks for reviewing Fancy.  
  
Tasukis_princessJupiter18: Well, I updated, but not that soon. *guilty laugh* Hehe...  
  
lilchibifirefly: Weird... cool... I never got a reviewer saying my story was weird. 


	8. Distant Thunder

Ji-na smiled to herself as she got ready for bed. Everything was turning out perfect. Hotohori seemed to be happy with Houki, she found out about her past, and - she blushed when she thought of it - Chichiri liked her.  
  
She got into her pajamas and pulled the covers over her. She didn't know why, but she had the feeling she was being watched. She closed her eyes and tried to get to sleep.  
  
I always get this feeling, she thought.  
  
"BOO!" cried Hotohori, jumping into her room. Ji-na jumped.  
  
"WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?" she yelled. "YOU SCARED ME!" Hotohori was rolling around on the floor laughing.  
  
"You should have seen your eyes," Hotohori said between fits of laughter. "Big as dinner plates!" Ji-na got out of bed and threw one of her pillows at him. It hit him in the face.  
  
"Heeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyy!" he cried. He hit Ji-na back. A pillow fight ensued.  
  
A few minutes later, Ji-na and Hotohori were lying on the floor, exhausted. Feathers were everywhere; on the bed, the furniture, them. Ji- na was reminded of the time she traveled with her family to the north and the land was covered with pure white snow.  
  
Yeah, Ji-na thought. Snow white feathers. She looked over and saw Hotohori lying down next to her, asleep. A feather was on his lips and flew up every time he exhaled. Ji-na suddenly realized her own tiredness.  
  
I'm glad the Hotohori I know is still lurking under that cover of an emperor, she thought to herself.  
  
It started to drizzle outside. Ji-na listened to the rain hitting the roof as she snuggled up next to Hotohori and waited for sleep to some.  
  
She didn't notice a ghostly hand brush across her cheek and a voice whisper, "Suzaku, protect her."  
  
~*~  
  
Chichiri awoke the next day to the sound of rain outside. Looking out the window, he discovered that rain was coming down in sheets.  
  
Ug, he thought. I don't feel like going to breakfast today. His stomach, though, had other ideas.  
  
Reluctantly, he got dressed and made his way to breakfast. Walking along the porch that wrapped around the courtyard on his way to the dining room he thought he heard a voice singing. He looked and saw Ji-na inside the gazebo in the middle of the courtyard singing a song that seemed to make the rain silver and the pond shimmering glass. Chichiri let the melody wrap around him and enter his soul. He couldn't hear the words so well, but if he strained his ears, he could just make out what she was singing.  
  
"Distant thunder on the mountain Distant thunder in the sky Distant thunder says that rain is coming by and by  
  
Scattered rainfall in the garden Scattered rainfall in the afternoon Scattered rainfall says that flowers will blossom soon"  
  
"She's got a beautiful voice, doesn't she?" Chichiri turned around to see Hotohori leaning on the railing. "She's too shy to sing in front of other people most of the time, though. So she does it when she thinks no one's watching."  
  
"She sounds just like Kouran no da," Chichiri replied.  
  
"Well of course! They were sisters!"  
  
"No, but I mean really alike. If they weren't born so many years apart, they could've been twins no da."  
  
"Oh-oh the flowers that grow will open their petals one by one A flower has just one season in the sun"  
  
"That's such a beautiful song," Hotohori sighed. "I've heard her sing it before but I never knew where it was from. I've asked her before, but she didn't know." Chichiri took off his mask.  
  
"It's a lullaby from my village," he said. "Kouran and Jun-ling's mother used to sing it to them every night." "Jun-ling?"  
  
"Ji-na's old name."  
  
"The sun it will fly across the sky racing to chase the moon The moon will rise and set again too soon"  
  
Chichiri noticed that the rain was flooding the courtyard. The water was getting steadily higher. He put his mask back on.  
  
"Distant thunder on the mountain Far away but coming fast But the thunder and the dark will soon be past  
  
Yes the storm will blow But in time we know That the sun will shine at last"  
  
Chichiri and Hotohori applauded. Ji-na noticed them and blushed. She looked down and noticed the water rising higher and higher. Chichiri saw fear dance across her face. She took a deep breath and stepped in the water. In a flash she was gone.  
  
"Ji-na!" Hotohori yelled. He jumped over the railing and into the water to try and rescue her. "Ji-na!" he called again. As soon as his feet touched the water, he was dragged under.  
  
"Hotohori!" Chichiri called. "Why do you have to be so - so -"  
  
"Stupid, right?" Chichiri turned around and saw the ghost of Hikou standing smugly with his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
Chichiri didn't question this strange appearance of his best friend. He was too preoccupied with Hotohori's safety. He saw a hand sticking up out of the water not too far from the porch. If he reached out, he could grab it without having to step into the water and risk being dragged under. He grabbed the hand and much to his happiness found out it was attached to Hotohori.  
  
~*~  
  
Help me, Suzaku! Ji-na thought. Please! Suzaku, Hotohori, Chichiri, Miaka, Tasuki, Tamahome, Chiriko, Mitsukake, Kouran... anyone... help... A wave came and her head broke the surface. She sucked in mouthfuls of air, glad to be alive. When she went under again she found herself in a clump of seaweed.  
  
Oh man, she thought. This can't be good. She struggled to free herself, but it seemed that the more she struggled, the more tangled she became. She became panicked. She was losing air. She couldn't breathe...  
  
~*~  
  
"Question: why are you here no da?" Chichiri asked Hikou as he helped dry off Hotohori.  
  
"I haven't seen you for six years," Hikou responded. "I thought it would be nice to have a little reunion. Especially since the Three Warriors have changed so much."  
  
Three Warriors no da? Chichiri thought. Who are they?  
  
Duh! a voice in his head exclaimed. That's the name Hikou gave to the three of you!  
  
Oh, yeah. And Ji-na was called 'The Other One'.  
  
"... two are dead and one looks like a squirrel," Hikou said, unaware that Chichiri had just slipped into a daze.  
  
"I do not no da! This is just a mask! See?" Chichiri took off his mask to prove that he didn't really look like a squirrel. He saw Hikou's eyes rest on his scar.  
  
"How did that happen?"  
  
"When that log hit me in the eye on the day of the flood - "  
  
"Will you two just shut up and save my sister already?" Chichiri and Hikou turned around and saw Kouran leaning on the porch railing.  
  
"I was just about to say that," Hotohori said.  
  
A wave came and Ji-na's head broke the surface. She screamed. "Praise be to Suzaku! She's alive!" Hotohori cried as he scrambled to the railing. "I'm going to go in and save her!"  
  
"Don't go, Hotohori!" Chichiri said. "I'll go save her." He put his mask in his pocket for safekeeping.  
  
"Yeah, but do you really want to risk your life for some chick?" Hikou put his ghostly arm around Chichiri's shoulders. "C'mon," he started leading Chichiri away. "You should get some hot tea."  
  
"Chichiri, what are you doing?" Kouran yelled. "Ji-na's in danger! You would never have walked out on someone in danger six years ago."  
  
Chichiri didn't pay attention. He just kept walking.  
  
"Are you listening to me, buster?"  
  
When Chichiri had calculated enough distance, he turned around and took a running leap into the water.  
  
"Kid's crazy," Hikou said. "Always was."  
  
That was the last thing he heard before he hit the water.  
  
A/N: Well, after a HUGE and not-so-well deserved break, writer's block, winter vacation, going somewhere for five days without a computer, and getting a new computer, you can see what took this chapter so long. I hope you all aren't too mad. I know that it can be aggravating to see that a story you really like hasn't been updated since last month at least. (That's happened to me more than once, believe me.)  
  
I was wondering, does anyone want me to translate the Hebrew conversation that goes on between Ji-na and Hotohori? Not that it's terribly important to the plot, but it's always nice to know what's going on.  
  
To all the Lucy Moses people that might read this chapter: If I got some of the lyrics to "Distant Thunder" wrong, it's because I'm too lazy to watch the video, and I think I lost my copy of the lyrics.  
  
To the non-Lucy Moses people: "Distant Thunder" is by no means mine. All rights go to Lucy Moses, Sean Heartly, and anyone else who took part in writing the song. I have absolutely nothing to do with it aside from the fact that I sang it.  
  
And now, on to the thank yous  
  
TA Maxwell: I was really thinking that the boxers were Miaka's. Although she -could've- given them to Tasuki.... *evil pictures start to form in celestial princess' mind*  
  
shadow sorceress: About what you said in chapter six; yes, Ji-na is Kouran's sister. That's why Chichiri mistakes her for Kouran in the water and why they both get flashbacks. I'm happy that you said you were glad that you came upon this story. It always makes me feel good that people appreciate my work. ^_^ 


	9. Kiss the Girl

Ji-na continued to struggle with the seaweed. She couldn't get it off of her. The harder she tugged, the tighter it wrapped around her.  
  
It's almost like it's alive, she thought. Eww... that's not a pleasant thought. Fear began to bubble up inside of her. Stop panicking! Think, think. What to do...  
  
The seaweed tightened its grip on her. She screamed and realized what a stupid idea that just was. Now she lessened her air supply.  
  
AHHH!!!! she thought. I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die. Oh, shut up! I'm not gonna die. O.K. think. Suzaku, I'm so stupid. Break the seaweed!  
  
Ji-na tried to break the seaweed that entangled her. She managed to get some of it off, but most of it was still clutching her, impossible to break off.  
  
She felt a hand on her cheek. It was hard for her to see in the water, but she could make out the outline of Chichiri.  
  
Chichiri's strong hands broke what seaweed was still wrapped around her. He then wrapped his arms around her waist and swam up to the surface.  
  
It was a blessing to be able to breathe again. Ji-na sucked in mouthfuls of air, not caring that she wasn't helping Chichiri get any closer to solid ground.  
  
Eventually, they reached the porch. Hotohori scooped them up out of the water.  
  
Ji-na was happy to be standing on solid ground again.  
  
Two ghosts ran towards Chichiri and Ji-na. There was a girl and a boy, both with their hair done up in buns. Ji-na recognized who they were after about a second.  
  
"My sister, my sister!" Kouran cried, giving Ji-na short quick kisses as best as a ghost can kiss a solid being. "Houjun, you saved her!"  
  
"Well done, Juni-boy," Hikou said, throwing an arm around Chichiri's shoulders.  
  
"Chichiri!" Tasuki cried, seeming to appear out of nowhere. "What the f*** do you think you were doing?!" He threw his arms around Chichiri. "You f***ing scared me!"  
  
"Um..."  
  
"Don't 'um' me, you stupid b******! You could've gotten yourself f***ing killed!"  
  
"Yeah, but -"  
  
"No buts! Don't ever do that to me again, even if it is for some hot broad!"  
  
Ji-na smiled when she heard the woman-hater Tasuki call her a "hot broad".  
  
"Do you f***ing understand what the f*** I'm saying?!"  
  
"Yes, Tasuki no da."  
  
"Good."  
  
~*~  
  
Chichiri knocked on the door to Ji-na's room. He had just changed into a robe so he could get out of his wet clothes.  
  
"Wait a minute!" he heard Ji-na's voice call from behind the door. The door opened and he saw Ji-na standing in the doorway, also wearing a robe.  
  
"Uh, can I come in no da?"  
  
"Sure!"  
  
Chichiri stepped in the room. What he saw almost made him laugh out loud. Kouran was sitting/floating on Ji-na's bed and Hikou had his face turned towards a corner, asking if he could turn around yet.  
  
"Yes," both Ji-na and Kouran said with a giggle. Hikou turned around and floated over to the bed where he sat down.  
  
There was a silence that seemed to hang in the air, wet and heavy like laundry hung out to dry.  
  
"So, uh," Ji-na said, trying to think of something to say. "Thanks for saving my life."  
  
"Oh, no problem na no da!"  
  
"Where's your mask?" Ji-na asked suddenly.  
  
Chichiri suddenly realized that it wasn't on his face.  
  
"M-my mask no da!" he cried. "It must have gotten washed away while I was trying to save you."  
  
"That's alright."  
  
"Alright? It's my mask no da!"  
  
"You don't need it."  
  
"Why not? Because my hideous scar adds to my features and makes me look so handsome you could die?" Chichiri asked sarcastically.  
  
"Actually... yeah."  
  
Chichiri's good eye widened. "Really no da?"  
  
"Really no da," Ji-na responded. Chichiri could feel his cheeks get warm.  
  
If only Nuriko were here no da, he thought. He would have said something like -  
  
"Look! Look! Chichiri's blushin'!" Chichiri and Ji-na turned to see Tasuki excitedly pointing with his finger towards the two of them. Three seconds later, the sound of scampering footsteps filled the hallway as all the seishi and Miaka ran to Ji-na's room.  
  
Something just like that no da.  
  
"Isn't that so sweet, Houjun?" Hikou said. "You've attracted a crowd."  
  
"OOOO!" Miaka squealed. "You're finally together!"  
  
"Miaka, we're not together," Ji-na said.  
  
"Nonsense! I know a couple in love when I see one and I'm looking at one right now!" she said, voice full of stubbornness.  
  
Ji-na and Chichiri looked at each other, then at the crowd of faces.  
  
"You know you want to," Hikou said.  
  
"Oh no no da. I'm a monk, remember?"  
  
Hikou looked like he didn't care. He held out his hands, meaning to push Chichiri towards Ji-na, but sent his arms through Chichiri's back and out his chest instead.  
  
"C'mon, why don't you kiss her?" Hikou whined.  
  
"Because he's scared," Kouran joked. Chichiri decided to ignore that comment.  
  
Meanwhile, Ji-na's face was getting redder and redder.  
  
"Sha la la la la la, oh my my You wanna kiss the girl You wanna kiss the girl (Woah woah)" Miaka sang.  
  
Ji-na put her reddening face in her hands. Chichiri decided to follow suit. "Sha la la la la la Float along and listen to the song You wanna kiss the girl. Da da da da da Da da da da Da da da da"  
  
After a few verses, everyone except Ji-na and Chichiri were singing along. Ji-na and Chichiri were sitting on Ji-na's bed, pretending they didn't know anyone and had no clue what was going on.  
  
When the song ended, there was thunderous applause and a cry of "Kiss the damn girl already!" courtesy of Tasuki.  
  
Well, what do I have to lose no da? Chichiri thought as he planted a quick kiss on Ji-na's lips.  
  
The cheering that followed was so loud, even a deaf man could have been able to hear it.  
  
Chichiri looked at Ji-na's face and saw her smiling so brightly, her face could have rivaled the light of the sun. It was then he decided to say something he hadn't said to anyone in six years.  
  
"I love you, Jun-ling."  
  
Ji-na shook her head so lightly, it almost looked like she wasn't moving it at all.  
  
"I'm not Jun-ling anymore," she said. "That's the name of an annoying little girl that got on your nerves. Now I am Ji-na, a princess in love with the Suzaku seishi Chichiri. Not Houjun, the boy who was engaged to Jun-ling's older sister, but Chichiri, the monk. We must not forget the past, Chichiri, but we must not let it take over our lives. Otherwise, there is no reason to do anything but pine for the days of yore. Otherwise, there is no reason to live."  
  
"It doesn't matter to me who you are and who I am no da," Chichiri said. "All that matters is that I have the girl I love in my arms."  
  
"Then I guess it doesn't matter to you that you're a monk who just kissed a girl," Hikou said.  
  
"Not in the least no da. Not in the least." To prove his point, Chichiri kissed Ji-na again.  
  
"And they all lived happily ever after, the end," said Miaka.  
  
A/N: And so concludes Perfect Strangers It's always so satisfying to write a fic and know that people like it. Thanks tooooooooooo:  
  
TA Maxwell: I love Chichiri, you love Chichiri, we all love Chichiri!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! Cornelia: Distant Thunder couldn't have been, if that's what you're talking about. The head of my camp wrote it. It was the final number for a play at my camp.  
  
mrsradcliffe/tamahome: I wrote more! Yay me! Yay Fushigi Yugi! Yay Chichiri! Yay reviewers! 


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